A whisper in your ear : The woman in the zoo
by mag31
Summary: A body is found in a zoo. Booth and the Squints Squad will have to use their resources to identify the remains and catch the murderer. BB fluff eventually.
1. Hidden desires

**This is my fist fanfic**** and the first story I write in English. I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much I enjoy reading you all. Please correct me if necessary. This story will have at least 4 chapters, I hope I'll have enough time to finish the story quickly.**

**You know that I don't own Bones, actually I own nothing but this story come from my imagination and the few characters I had to invent for the case the story is about.**

**Spoilers : about seasons 1 and 2.**

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Chapter 1 : ****Hidden desires**

_**Sunday, June 3r**__**d**_

_**11**__**:42 pm**_

Temperance was sitting at her desk in her office, thoughtfully staring at the computer screen. She gave a sigh. She had been sitting there for over half an hour and she had only managed to write three words until then. Her thoughts didn't let her focus on her story. She stood up and stepped to her couch, lying down on it. The truth was that she was feeling depressed. And lonely. Her relationships had always been a disaster. Her former teacher who revealed himself jealous of her own success. David, the guy from the internet, who ended up being some kind of recruiter for a cult. Will, the guy who had cut off his own brother's head because he thought he was possessed by a witch. She wondered how it would be like if she had accepted Sully's proposal.

She sighed sadly. Lonely, and empty was how she was actually feeling. For the past few days, she had been chatting online with a smart, good-looking man. He had suggested a dinner but she was still hesitating.

She felt tears beginning to fill her eyes. Something was missing in her life. Something she was not able to find yet. Something she couldn't identify but she was sick not to get. She silently scolded herself. _Who am I, a teenage girl? I didn't need these men, this is why I'm alone. And it's fine. I'm just fine._ She took a deep breath and relaxed. She realised she was exhausted. Too exhausted to come back home. Not a big deal, the couch was comfortable, and she had slept on it several times in the past. So she closed her eyes and fell asleep almost immediately, the tiredness gaining the upper hand on her.

She began to wake up after what she thought had been hours. She nearly jumped as she realised that someone was standing next to her. Even if she wouldn't admit it, she had been nervous since she had been caught by the gravedigger. But it was only Booth kneeling next to her.

"I'm sorry", he apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you, not even to wake you up."

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Is it the morning?"

He stood up and sat next to her. "No. It's only half past midnight."

She frowned. "But then… What are you doing here?"

"Well I… I couldn't sleep", he explained, looking sheepishly at her.

"I can see that."

"I thought you were not sleeping either."

"That's why you came to my office?"

He stumbled to form words but eventually stood up. "Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come. I see you tomorrow." He walked out his partner's office, the sound of his shoes hitting the floor of the empty and silent lab. Temperance remained still, stunned, listening to Booth's footsteps. And suddenly, something pushed her to catch up with him. She ran through the lab and rushed to the parking lot. She slowed down her pace when she saw him leaned against his car. He startled lightly and watched her stopping in front of him. They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, none of them knowing what to say.

"Bones, I…" He hesitated before suddenly bringing his face close to hers and pressing his lips against hers. And at this exact moment, she knew that _this_ was what she was waiting for. She gripped his neck to deepen the kiss.

"Bones" She loved when he whispered her name like that. How comes she hadn't realise that before? She could feel his warm breath on her face as he rested his forehead on hers.

"Bones, wake up"

When she opened her eyes, the light made her blink.

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_**Monday, June 4th  
**_

_**9:16 am**_

"Hey Bones, I've got a surprise for you", Booth announced proudly, stepping into the office. "A human body thrown to animals, I'm pretty sure you'll..." He stopped when he realised she was not sitting at her desk but had fallen asleep on her couch. He leaned down and called her softly by her name several times. Seeing that this method would not wake her up, he kneeled next to her and shook her lightly. This time she began to move her eyelids and eventually opened her eyes.

"Morning Bones", he whispered.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "It's the morning…?"

"Yes Bones, quarter past nine."

She stared hazily into his eyes.

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded.

"I guess you need a moment to wake up." He stood up and stepped to the door. "You want a coffee?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Angela appeared at the door. "Hey"

"Ange, why didn't you wake me up?"

"You seemed to sleep so well… Sorry." She sat on the couch next to her friend and stared into her eyes. A grin spread across her lips. "You dreamed of…"

"Coffee!" announced Booth happily. He entered the office, handing her partner a cup of coffee.

Angela leaned down and whispered in Temperance's ear. "I'm sure you bless me for letting you being woken up by your sexy FBI agent, don't you?" The grin on her lips grew wider as her friend's cheeks began to blush slightly. She stood up. "Come with me, I'm sure you guys are hungry." She helped Temperance getting on her feet and invited Booth to follow them to the lab.

Angela stepped inside her office and came back tot hem, handing a box. "Donuts?"

Booth smiled like a child. "Sure!" He grabbed one and put it in his mouth. "Thanks, Angela!" He placed his arm on his partner's shoulder. "Bones, we'd better leave now, it's nearly half past nine."

"Where are you going?" asked Angela.

"To the zoo", answered Booth.

Angela raised an eyebrow. "With Parker?"

Brennan shook her head. "No. A body was found there. I guess the animals enjoyed their meal. I mean, if I have to go, I guess the animals didn't left much", she explained.

With a disgusted expression on her face, Angela let her donut drop in the garbage can. "Thanks Brenn, this was my breakfast."

Brennan shrugged. "You'll have to work on this case anyway."

"I'm impatient to do that", retorted Angela, ironic.

"So am I!", Zack said, walking up the platform.

Angela sighed loudly and stepped back to her office, leaving Zack confused. "Did I say anything wrong?"

Booth chuckled and led Brennan out the lab.

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**I hope you liked this ****first chapter. I think I will have the next one ready soon but it is the most difficult since it is all about the case… Thanks for reading me, and please review! Don't worry telling me what you didn't like, it will help me improve for the next chapters (and stories ;) )**


	2. Horror in the zoo

**I spent a lot of time on it… and still I'm not really happy with it. I hope it will not be boring… ****That was not easy because I'm not a forensic anthropologist nor a FBI agent, not even a scientist or a doctor so I tried not to give too much details and I hope it does not ruin my story. But I really wanted to write about the case because I feared that without it the story would have been very poor.**

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**Chapter ****2 : Horror in the zoo**

_**Mo**__**nday, June 4**__**th  
9:54 am**_

Temperance was staring out the window, trying not to exchange looks with her partner. Still kind of shocked by her dream. What did that mean? That she was in love with Booth? She let out a quiet laugh.

"What?" Booth asked.

"I didn't say anything" she replied.

"You laughed."

"Sorry, hum I… this is not about you. I was just thinking about something… not really interesting actually." Her gaze turned back to the window.

Even if he was finding her behaviour intriguing, Booth knew her well enough to understand she didn't want to talk about it. He kept on driving, remaining silent.

And so did his partner, lost in her thoughts, chewing her lip. _Maybe__I should talk to Angela about my dream. She could tell me what she thinks about it… and never leave me alone with the idea of Booth and I being an ideal couple… No, this was definitely a bad idea. _She sighed. _Damned _s_tupid dream. I'd better forget it._

"Hey Bones, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, why?" she answered, without letting her eyes off of the window.

"I don't know, today you seem… upset."

"Well… I'm not."

He stumbled to form words. "If I had said or done anything wrong, you'd tell me wouldn't you?"

"Sure."

He frowned. "So why don't you look at me?"

She slowly turned her head to look in his eyes. "I didn't sleep much, that's all", was all she was able to find.

"Maybe because you were in your office a Sunday night"

"I needed to work on my book."

"You could have done that at your place."

"I work better at my office."

"Okay, then…" Booth parked the SUV in front of the zoo entrance. "Let's take a look at this body."

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_**10:12 am**_

The director of the zoo was waiting for them and lead them to the place were the body had been found. Booth grimaced. "What a smell!" he complained.

"This is the hyenas place", explained the director.

"Hyenas, uh… Pretty nice animal", Booth said ironically.

"Hyenas are carrion feeders", explained Brennan.

"Yeah, I know that, Bones", replied Booth, offended by his partner thinking he didn't know about it. "I often come to the zoo with Parker, I know a lot about exotic animals."

She wasn't listening, her attention caught by the remains on the ground. "The killer must have cut the flesh all over the body to make it more appetizing for the animals. Doing that, he was sure they did not leave much of the body, so that it would be difficult to identify."

Temperance placed latex gloves on her hands and began to look over the body. "Woman, end twenties to mid thirties. Tibia suggests she was between 5.3' an 5.5' tall." She kneeled down to take a better look at the remains. Booth let her doing her job and started talking with the zoo employee who had discovered the body. The woman seemed to be still in a state of shock. Her face pale and she was nervously wringing her hands together.

After a while, Temperance got to her feet and turned to her partner who was finished with the employee. "I can't say anything about injuries yet", she concluded. "I need all this to be brought back to the Jeffersonian. They didn't leave much of her but maybe Cam will be able to find some clues from the remains."

"Let's head back to the lab then."

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_**8:37 pm**_

Temperance was quickly typing on the keyboard of her laptop. This guy she had been chatting with for a few days, Adam Green, he seemed really nice. He asked her once more for a date. This time, she accepted. If he was a jerk, she would just left him standing there and jump into a cab. It would be no big deal. She was quite in a good mood this night. And she wasn't going to be dictated to by her fears, past experiences or dreams. Adam proposed to meet the next day at seven, in a restaurant she appreciated very much._ Great idea_, she thought. She really needed distraction.

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_**Tuesday, June 5**__**th  
11:03 am**_

Temperance had been working during hours with Zack since the day before. They had been studying every bone of the skeleton and they still hadn't found a cause of death.

"Maybe Cam will be able to tell us more about it", she explained to Booth. "She's currently analysing the blood in the remains. Angela is working on facial reconstruction, she'll be finished soon."

"I've got it', Angela announced, appearing at the door. "Her name's Natasha Foster, age 32. She has been reported missing by her parents six days ago." She handed the sketch to her friend.

"Good job, Angela", Brennan said.

Booth glanced at the sketch. "Have you searched for the parents' address yet?"

"James and Susan Foster, here it is", Angela answered, handing him the sheet of paper.

Booth took it, smiling. "You're wonderful, Angela." He softly placed his hand on her partner's shoulder. "C'mon Bones, let's go have a talk with them."

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_**11:29 am**_

"We're sorry for your loss…" Booth hated the moments when he had to announce parents that their child was dead. Especially when it did not even remained enough of the victim to identify. But for sure, it was easier when Bones was there. He turned to her and locked eyes with her.

"Our condolences", she added.

Booth lightly smiled to himself. Since they had been starting working together, her social skills had really improved, and he liked the idea of his partner learning from him. He was… yes, let's say he was proud of her.

"What can you tell us about your daughter?" Booth asked, turning his gaze back to the parents.

"Natasha worked as a nurse in a private hospital", the father started. "She was smart, she could even have become a doctor. But she loved this job, that was enough for us"

"Did she have any boyfriend?" asked Booth.

"She didn't talk much about them. She preferred focusing on her work at the hospital. She loved her job." answered the father.

"She had a boyfriend last year, a surgeon. She broke up with him several months ago", the mother added. "His name was Chris. We never met him, though…" She stopped, getting overwhelmed.

Booth turned to the father. "Did she have a lot of friends?"

"She spent all her time at work. She often told us about one of her colleagues, Tracy. I think they were friends. She's the one who called us when she began to worry about Natasha", the father explained. "What's more, I think she was regularly visiting a former patient, a 17-year-old girl named Hannah."

Booth nodded, mentally taking notes.

"Poor girl", said the mother, wiping the moisture from her eyes. "My daughter told me she became blind after a surgery, one year ago. I think Natasha felt guilty, even if she had no reason to. I mean, they did everything they could, and anyway she was only assisting the surgeon."

Booth stood up. "Thank you very much, you helped us a lot," he said, sympathetically looking at them. "We'll let you know when we have anything new."

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_**1:12 pm**_

"I'm starving", Booth said, crunching in his hamburger.

Bones put a French fry in her mouth. "So am I."

"What do you think about the case so far?" he asked.

"Well, I don't know yet, I'm waiting for new elements from the lab before making assumptions."

"When we are at the hospital, we'll…" He interrupted as his cell rang. "Damn it, they're not gonna let me eat in peace." He picked up the phone. "Booth"

"I've got some news for you" That was Cam speaking. "I'll spare you the details but we have determined a cause of death. She was drugged. I found a huge amount of narcotics in her blood. It would have killed an elephant."

"Elephants do not take narcotics", pointed out Zach.

"Thank you Zach", said Booth, rolling his eyes. "Anything else?"

"Not for the moment."

Booth hung up the phone and finished his hamburger.

"So…?" asked Bones.

"Natasha swallowed a huge amount of narcotics, they believe that's what killed her", explained Booth, his mouth full.

Bones shook her head. "She committed suicide and somebody moved her body?" she asked, not convinced.

Booth raised his eyebrows, smiling playfully. "Sounds like we're dealing with a murder."

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_**2:2**__**7 pm**_

"I hate hospitals"

"Nobody likes hospitals, Bones", said Booth, his hand in the small of his partner's back.

"Except the people who work in it", she replied.

He chuckled. "How can you say that, you work on dead people."

"Well, at least, they do not complain."

They headed to the office of the director, who was waiting for them. "Please take a seat", the man said. "Tracy is with a patient, she'll come as soon as she can." He told them about Natasha, a model employee, never late, really concerned with her job and her patients. Then, the door opened, and a brown-haired woman entered. The director lightly smiled to her. "Come in, Tracy. Please meet Agent Booth from the FBI, and Dr Temperance Brennan."

"The FBI?", repeated the woman, eyes wide in shock. "It's about Natasha, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid it is", replied Booth.

Tears began to fill Tracy's eyes. "What happened to her?"

"She was murdered", Brennan answered quickly, gaining herself a black look from her partner.

"I'm sorry", said Booth. "I know you two were colleagues and friends. But we have to ask you a few questions."

"I don't understand… Everybody loved Natasha. The staff, the patients…" Tracy sniffed. "She was a nice person. I mean, I knew something had happened to her. She was not the kind of person who was used to disappear without telling anyone. But murder… I don't know how this could have happened…"

"Her parents told us about a former boyfriend, Chris. They said he worked here but they weren't able to give his last name. Can you tell more about him?"

"I guess they were talking about Chris Sanders. They broke up months ago. Chris is a surgeon. He doesn't work here anymore, he had a job opportunity and moved to New York. However I saw him here last week. In the parking lot. I think he wanted to see Natasha. I saw them fighting. I think she didn't want to talk to him anymore."

"Did you hear anything?"

The woman shook her head. "I'm afraid I didn't. She didn't told me about it, so I supposed she didn't want to. And then, she disappeared."

"Did you know she was still visiting a former patient named Hannah?" asked Booth.

"Yes, Hannah Ward. She came for eyes surgery one year ago, but it didn't succeed. She's blind now. Chris was the surgeon, and Natasha was one of the nurses who assisted him during the operation. They both knew it was risky. I don't know why she felt so guilty. Natasha and Chris broke up a few weeks after this."

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_**4**__**:41 pm**_

Temperance was meticulously studying the victim's skeleton when footsteps broke the silent of the lab.

"I called the hospital where Sander works in New York." She recognized Booth's voice. "They said he's currently on vacations for three weeks. And he left on May, 26th.

"It doesn't mean he's the killer", she retorted, looking up from the table.

Booth shrugged. "I'm just saying. Anyway, we'll have to talk a little more with Natasha Foster's former colleagues. I'd like to learn more about this guy, Chris Sanders."

"Okay", she answered, her attention focused on the skeleton. "I'll let you know when I'm finished."

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**I hope you liked this chapter even if I'm not really happy with it. ****If you find anything that didn't made sense, please tell me. Chapter 3 will come very soon, I promise! Thanks for reading me, and please review! **


	3. The date

**Chapter 3**** : The date**

_**Tuesday, June 4**__**th  
6:27 pm**_

Booth stepped happily into his partner's office. "Hey Bones, ready to go?" He stopped as he noticed that she was about to leave. "Wow… Already putting your coat on?" He gave her his charm smile. "Were you waiting for me?"

"I'm sorry Booth but I won't be able to come with you. I forgot to tell you I had to leave by half past six tonight. Angela will replace me. "

He looked disappointed. "Oh… Well, I guess you have a date or something?"

"Something like that yes", she answered proudly.

"As long as you're not dating another of these crazy guys from the internet"

She protested. "Chatting on the internet doesn't mean they're crazy! The Internet is a wonderful way of meeting really interesting people, without the barrier of…"

"Oh Bones, please! You don't even know who this guy is that you're meeting! You can't imagine what's in his head after chatting online with him for a few days, he might be…"

She interrupted him. "Drop it Booth. I'm a big girl who knows perfectly how to take care of herself. Wanna try?"

"Uh… No, thanks. I've already had the opportunity to see these ninja talents of yours."

She sighed in an annoyed way. "That is none of your business anyway."

"Okay! Fine. I'm sorry if I'm worrying about my partner and friend."

"Booth, he's a brilliant chemist in pharmaceutical industry. He's smart, funny and he's not a psychopath, believe me."

"Yeah, at least that's what he wants you to believe." He shrugged, throwing in the towel. "Nevermind. Have fun with seriallover527 or whatever his handle is."

"Adam Green. And sure, I will."

Her cell phone rang. "It's Adam. He's picking me up as I didn't come with my car. I see you tomorrow."

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_**6:34 pm**_

With a grin on her face, Angela watched her friend walking out the building with the tall, blonde man. Booth was standing next to her, his arms folded. Without taking her eyes off of Adam green, Angela whistled in a suggestive way. "Hot!". Booth shrugged. Angela gave him a nudge. "Come on sweetie, you've got to admit that he seems nice, charming and everything. She always has good taste anyway." She sighed happily. "I don't regret advising her this website".

Booth sighed. "As a friend, you shouldn't encourage her. She doesn't even know this guy."

She turned to him. "Hey, look at you! You're jealous!", she teased.

As a response, Booth laughed nervously. "Oh, c'mon Angela. I'm just worrying about my _partner_, okay?"

"Who's jealous?" Hodgins appeared, as if coming from nowhere.

Booth rolled his eyes. "Nobody is! And now, if you guys don't mind, let's focus on the case. Angela, we'd better go now."

"Booth?" Angela asked, amusement in her voice.

"Yep?"

"Can I drive?"

He stopped a few seconds, pretending to think about it. "No!"

They both laughed loudly.

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_**6:54**__** pm**_

Temperance was thoughtfully gazing at the elegant blonde man standing in front of her. _Not exactly my type but soooo charming…_ And though, she couldn't help thinking about her last fight with Booth. In some sense he wasn't wrong, event if she wouldn't admit it. No! Of course he was wrong. And she was having a great time. She was not letting her pleasure being ruined because of her partner's opinions. Adam was nice, smart, attentive. _He_ really seemed to respect her opinions and she had heard him saying he admired independent woman.

"Tempe? Are you alright? Oh, by the way, you don't mind if I call you Tempe, do you?"

She slightly blushed. "No! Not at all. Actually, a lot of people call me Tempe."

He smiled gently. "Fine. But are you sure not to worry about anything?"

"No, really." She smiled back. "I'm really enjoying this moment."

He seemed satisfied. "I'm glad you do. So, what will you drink?"

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_**6:57 pm**_

As they were heading to the main entrance of the hospital, Angela gave Booth a friendly smile. "She'll be just fine, okay?"

She only got an annoyed look from him. "Angela, will you please stop this? I didn't say anything. I'm just trying to do my job."

She opened her mouth but eventually changed her mind. "Okay, fine."

The director received them in his office. He accepted to talk about Chris Sanders, his career as a surgeon in this hospital, the reasons that made him decide to move to New York. He also talked about Hannah Ward and the internal investigation that relieved Dr Sanders of any responsibility in what happened.

"I'd like to see a photo of Dr Sanders if you don't mind, sir", asked Angela.

The director nodded. "Of course." He opened a drawer of his desk and handed her a frame. "This is a photo of the team that was taken about one year ago." He pointed faces on the photo. "This is… was… Dr Foster. And this is Dr Sanders."

Angela took the frame to watch it closer. "Something's weird, I…" She frowned.

Booth leaned down to take a better look at the picture. "What?"

Ashen-faced, Angela was staring at the picture, holding tightly the frame in her trembling hands. "Oh my god…"

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_**7:44 pm**_

_Oh god, I don't remember ever having my head spinning like this after only two Martini…_She began to wonder if she was not ill. _Dammit, I'm really having a good time. It would be too bad if I had to spend the rest of the night alone in my bed with a fever of a hundred and three…_

"Tempe?"

Adam's voice startled her. "Yes?"

"I asked you a question", he said with an amused smile.

She felt pretty embarrassed. "Oh, I… I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What did you say?"

He shook his head gently. "Nothing important." He put his right hand on top of her left one. "Are you sure everything is alright?"

"Yeah! Why?"

"I don't know, you seemed so lost in your thoughts. Still thinking about your work, aren't you? I know what it is…"

She shook her head. "No, not at all. I… have a little headache, not a big deal."

"Okay, so I guess you'd better stop drinking for now. What about ordering dinner?"

"Sure." She slowly pulled her hand away as her phone began to ring. "I'm sorry, I've got to answer."

He smiled. "Not a problem."

"Brennan"

"Hey Bones it's me, are you okay?"

She was surprised by the tone of his voice. "Of course I am. At least, I was before you decided to interrupt my…"

He cut her off. "Please, listen to me Bones, it's really important. I guess you're still with your date?"

She really felt annoyed. "Yes, I am, and you're…"

He interrupted her one more time. "I need you to keep on acting and talking neutral all along, can you do that?"

She sighed angrily and gave Adam a look of apology before sitting up. "Sorry, work…" Then she stepped towards the door of the restaurant with the phone at her ear. "Actually, it will not be that easy. I hope you realise that you're rui…"

"Yes, I guess I'm interrupting whatever you're doing, yes, I know you're really angry, but please Bones, do that for me, just once. Just listen to me, keep on smiling and answer only what's necessary, understood?"

"Why, is this some kind of joke?"

His patience began to reach its end. "No Bones, this is not a joke." He insisted on these words. "We've just found out that this man with whom you're currently dating is probably our killer."

She laughed, too annoyed to hear the tremor in his voice. "Very funny. I guess all the team is behind you, hearing this conversation and having a lot of fun. But you guys are not going to ruin my evening."

She was about to put her cell down when she eventually realised how anxious Booth's voice was.

She whispered. "You're not kidding, right?"

"No Bones, I'm not. I whish I was. I need you to stay where you are. Send me the address of the restaurant by sms and act as if nothing were wrong. I'm leaving right now, everything will be alright."

Temperance took a deep breath. What the hell was she doing here with the culprit in the case she was working on? Her thoughts were becoming confused and her head was spinning so much now that she had been instinctively leaning on the wall. A waitress walked towards her.

"Excuse me madam, but do you feel alright?"

Temperance forced a smile. "I'm fine, thank you. I'm just going back to my seat."

She walked back to the table where Adam was waiting for her, trying not to let him see that her heart was pounding against her chest. "I'm so sorry, my work barely let me rest. I just need to go to the restrooms and after that I swear I'll be all yours."

Once again, she forced a smile, and he smiled back to her, though it seemed to her that he was quietly laughing at her. It was obvious. He had put poison in one of her drinks. At any moment he could have divert her attention to do it. With difficulty, she managed to walk straight, her head dangerously spinning and her chest oppressed. When she finally reached the restrooms, she rushed to the sink and bended over it, her fingers pushed deep into her throat, trying desperately to regurgitate as much poison as she could. But she new it was far too late to do that. The decor was now dancing all around her, her vision turning to black. Her trembling legs were not able to support her anymore and she fell on her knees, still clinging to the edges of the lavatory. She figured out she only had a few minutes left until she fell unconscious.

_My cell… Where's my cell…_Incapable of standing up and short of breath, she began to panic. She groped for it next to the lavatory, still holding on by fear she would collapse. Unfortunately, her hand was finding nothing but a cold surface. Breathing was becoming more and more difficult, and her lungs were like burning. Everything around her became blurred, and even her thoughts were confused in her head. She barely noticed the noise of somebody opening the door in a hurry. She only felt herself toppling over, expecting her head to hurt the ground eventually.

But the shock never came. Instead, she was lying in warm, comforting arms, and she heard a familiar voice trying to reassure her. She tried to articulate a few words, but she was not sure they ever came to her mouth. She felt safe enough to let herself slip into unconsciousness, not without knowing, in a part of her mind, that she might never wake up anymore.

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**I hope you liked this chapter****. It was easier to write than ch 2. I really hope I was able to find the right words for descriptions, especially in the end.**

**I'll try to be finished soon with chapter 4 ;)**


	4. Neverending wait

**Sorry for the delay, I've been busy… Thanks so much to Skelly who took time to fix the mistakes in this chapter. And I take this opportunity to tell you this : go on her personal page ( skellingtonlover) and read all her stories, they are wonderful! Thanks to my Portuguese friend too, who fixed some little things too ! She's writing a story with some friends, you should read chapter one, next ones will come soon ( xX Melissa Xx)**

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**Chapter 4 : Never-ending wait**

_**Tuesday, June 4**__**th**_

_**8:01 pm**_

"That's okay Bones, I'm here now. It's all over. The ambulance is on its way. Please hold on. Please… "

She slightly nodded, her eyes closed.

He leaned down closer on her, their faces nearly touching. "C'mon Bones, I need you to stay awake. Look at me."

She slowly opened them.

"Look into my eyes, okay? You're gonna be all right, I swear."

"I don't know", she whispered, closing her eyes again and burying her head into his chest.

He gently squeezed her arm. "No Bones, listen to me okay? Look into my eyes. Bones, stay with me… Temperance…"

But she did not make a move. He felt for a pulse on her wrist. It was weak. Too weak. _What the hell is the damned ambulance doing?_, he thought. He sighed sadly, and let her head rest on his chest, caressing her hair unconsciously. He glanced at her face. She was so pale… And obviously, she barely breathed. Panic began to take hold of him. No, he couldn't let her die slowly in his arms. He slipped his right arm under her legs and swept her up in his arms. He kicked the door to open it and rushed outside, where the ambulance had just arrived. He put her softly down on the gurney, and paramedics gently pushed him aside.

He shook his head. Everything was nothing but a nightmare. It had to be.

"We're loosing her"

_I'm loosing her… _The voices of the paramedics echoed in his head. Their moves were barely understandable. He was nothing but the spectator of a scene he couldn't take part to. He watched them helplessly, holding his breath, as if he refused to breathe as long as she couldn't. The gurney disappeared in the ambulance, the doors were closed, and he found himself left alone in the street. Around him, passers-by kept on walking in the street, cars kept on going, people kept on eating. But it seemed to him that time had stopped. Was all this really happening?

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_**9:37 pm**_

It seemed to him like he had been waiting for hours. At first, he had paced nervously in the waiting room, glancing at his watch every three minutes. Then, he had let himself lean on the wall. And he was now sitting on an uncomfortable chair, his head resting in his shaking hands. Nobody had come yet, and not knowing was worse than knowing. He didn't even know what this son of a bitch had put in her drink. If he had not been preoccupied by her solely, he would have smashed his damned bastard face. He knew that something was wrong, he had felt it… He should have been there earlier… He should have been there… She shouldn't have been alone… She shouldn't have been there at all…

Despite the tiredness, he suddenly felt the urge to sit up and break something. But his gaze met Hodgins' eyes, and he calmed down. Angela was sitting in the waiting room too, crying silently in Hodgins' arms.

When the door finally opened, the three sat up at the same time, their eyes filled with hope and fear at the same time and their breath caught in their throat. The doctor slightly smiled. "I can tell you it was a close shave. The poison had already spread in her blood and she was suffocating. Her blood has been replaced and she's still on a respirator. She's weak and still unconscious, but she's going to be all right. Rest is all she needs for now. She has been transferred to another room. You can see her if you wish, but one at the same time. She's not going to wake up after several hours."

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_**11:53 pm**_

Booth had been here for nearly two hours, staring at her, the blanket rising falling with her breathing. _She seems so peaceful_, he thought. _As if she doesn't realise what has just happened to her. _At least, she actually seemed to get some rest in her sleep. But he, Booth, couldn't rest. Because he couldn't help a thousand thoughts crossing his mind. _What if I had arrived too late? I'm her partner, I even told her once I was her gun. And this is the second time I'm about to loose her in a few weeks… What if the doctor had said she'd never wake up anymore? What if I hadn't had a chance to talk to her again before… before… _He felt tears beginning to fill his eyes and sighed, silently scolding himself. _Come on Seeley Booth, there's no point in thinking about the worse that could have happened when it didn't. She's fine. The doctor said she was going to be all right._

He would never let this kind of thing happen to her again. Never. Would she protest or would she bite, he would never leave her alone again when his guts tell him she's vulnerable. He smiled lightly, reminding the way she put her hands on her hips when she was annoyed or angry. Oh god, she was so damned cute when she was doing that. She wouldn't be Bones if she didn't react this way all the time. And they wouldn't be Booth and Bones if they were not arguing all the time. Deep inside of him, he knew he liked that. And actually, she liked it too, deep inside her own mind. They liked it because each one was always finding a response from the other. He called her bossy, she called him irrational. He lacked scientific skills, she seriously lacked social skills. He believed in love, she believed that "dopamine and norepinephrine stimulate euphoria because of certain biological triggers". And that was why they were such a great pair.

But for now, she was sleeping, her eyes closed and her mouth half opened. He lifted his hand to her head. He had rarely seen her so quiet. He hesitated and eventually, held her hand instead. He squeezed it gently, as if he feared she'd leave. As if she might never wake up again. _How could I live without you Bones?_ My _Bones… _He frowned. Had he just said that out loud?

He let out a sigh. Of exhaustion, this time. His eyes were burning. The tension of the day, the unimaginable wait, the fear. He was dead tired. But he knew he would not been able to sleep until he could see her open her eyes and hear her talk to him.

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**I hope you liked this chapter. I'll update with next one as soon as I can! And it should be fluffier ;)**


	5. Wake up

**I'm sorry for updating very late. The fact is I have been very busy, and now I'm leaving on holidays for one week so I won't be able to work on next chapters until I come back. But I've written some one shots that will be posted in some days ;)**

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**Chapter 5 :**** Wake up**

_**Wednesday, June 5**__**th**_

_**8:11 am**_

Temperance groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. She knew she was at the hospital but she was still trying to gather the last events in her head. The body in the zoo, her date with Adam… Everything was pretty confused… Booth's call… Booth… His voice was the last thing she remembered. The softness of his voice and the warmness of his arms.

"Hey Bones"

_His voice again. Am I__ dreaming? _She slowly turned her head on the other side. He was sitting on a chair next to her, staring at her, a sly smile spreading across his lips.

"Hi…" she whispered.

"How do you feel?"

"I… don't know… Tired… Confused…"

He voice was so weak he lost his smile. She began to wake up a bit more, progressively becoming aware of the room and machines around her.

"What's that thing in my nose?" She tried to tear it off but he stopped her.

"Hey, don't do that. It helps you breath."

But, as always, she went and tore it all the same. "I can breathe alone."

Booth sighed. "You also said that you could face alone any danger coming from cyber-killers", he teased.

She could'nt help smirking. "I hate this, when you're right and I'm wrong."

He grinned. "I'm always right!"

"No, you're not!"

They stared at each other for a few seconds before both laughing out loud.

"By the way… Thanks."

Booth shrugged. He wasn't expecting that from her. "Thanks for what?"

She bit her lip before answering. "For… You know… Arriving just in time."

He sighed. "Bones, you're my partner… and my friend. If you… I mean, if I had not arrived in time, I couldn't have forgiven myself. All this should never have happened. I should have been there to protect you, I had this bad feeling about this man, and… I know what you think, but you've got to admit that my guts are rarely wrong."

She was staring at him, silently. He hesitated but eventually took her hand. "The truth is I'm sorry. I should have been there earlier."

Bones sighed. "The truth is I have been an idiot."

Booth nearly startled. Bones calling herself an idiot… He'd never thought he would hear that someday…

He squeezed her hand gently. "Don't say that. You're not an idiot, you couldn't know."

"By the way, are you going to explain why I'm at the hospital?"

"Yeah, yeah sure. Your Adam Green was Chris Sanders, Natasha's ex-boyfriend. He killed her because she was about to reveal his medical error towards Hannah Ward. She was the only one who knew his problem with drugs, and he…"

"Am I interrupting something?" Angela stepped into the room with a grin on her face. Both Booth and Bones pulled their hands away.

Booth sat up. "No, not at all. I guess you wanna see how your friend is doing."

Angela came up to the bed. "Oh, honey… I'm so happy to see you're in the clear…" She bend over her friend to whisper in her ear. "Your sexy FBI agent has been staying with you until you woke up, isn't that sweet? He barely slept and refused to leave your bedside, and watched you sleep all night."

Temperance felt herself blushing. Angela smiled at her.

"I'm glad your cheeks are recovering some color, sweetie."

Hodgins entered the room. "Where's the pudding?"

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_**Thursday, June 6**__**th**_

_**18**__**:53 pm**_

Temperance was sitting on her couch listening to the oppressive silence prevailing in her apartment. Angela had come this morning with some clothes to drive her back home. Of course, before leaving, she had warned her. "Don't you even think about returning to work, Brenn! They gave you one week to recover mentally and physically, I'll make sure you'll be resting at your place!" Brennan sighed loudly. One week… She was going be bored stiff. And her work at the Jeffersonian was going to accumulate. She glanced at her watch. It was nearly noon but she was not hungry. She sat at her desk and put her laptop on. _At least, I could to do something useful by working on my book._ She double-clicked on the icon to open the file and began to type.

She spent the afternoon getting away with chapter 17. But then the passage went about the relationship between Kathy and Andy, and it made her think again about how bad ever went her own relationships. Now she could add to her list the man who poisoned her. She found herself fighting back some tears. _Here I go again… It seems that I'm good for nothing but crying these days._ She let out an ironical laugh which soon turned into sobs. _Why am I this emotional though? I've never complained about solitude, I kind of look for it. I'm kind of made for it. _This last thought made her cry harder, her head hidden in her arms. _Or not…_

She sobbed loudly during a long moment, her forehead leaned on her desk. At first, she tried to stop, but she couldn't. So, she let herself go, guessing she might feel better when her eyes would go dry by themselves. After some minutes, tears actually began to ebb, and she felt relief invading her body and her mind. She sat up straight on her chair, wiped a few last tears from her eyes and took a deep breath. _This time I'm done with crying._

She sat up and walked towards the kitchen. She filled a glass of water and drank it. Thinking that going for a walk would do her good, she grabbed her coat and quickly opened the door. Finding herself face to face with Booth.

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	6. Someone who cares

**I firstly thought this chapter was going to be the last one. Actually, it will not be the case because while finishing writing it, I realised I could cut it here and would have enough to fill another chapter.**

**Thanks to Manu/Melissa who helps me when I come up against something. Even if English isn't her mother language either, she gave me some good advices. And she was "there" when I was writing the fluffy part of the chapter, so in some sense she has been my muse ;) Thanks to her friend Mal too, who helped me for a sentence that didn't make much sense.**

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**Chapter 6 :**** Someone who cares**

_**Thursday, June 6**__**th**_

_**7:11**__** pm**_

Booth and Bones both startled, finding themselves face to face, like frozen. He stood tensely at the door, had poised and ready to knock, while she, in a scrambling frenzy, was about to rush out the door.

"Booth? What are you doing here?" she asked, a puzzled look stitched on her face.

He was surprised to see she was about to go out. "Well, uh… Making sure you're okay", he replied with disappointment in his voice.

She shrugged. "I'm fine", she lied, wrapping herself within her jacket.

He lightly leaned on her to take a better look at her, noticing her eyes were red. "Are you really sure everything is all right?"

"Yeah" She turned to close and lock the door. "I was about to go for a walk, 'cause going round and round in my apartment drives me crazy."

"Hum… Do you mind if I come with you? Walking would do me good too, and maybe we could stop in some place I could buy us food?"

She hesitated. On the one hand, she wanted to be alone. But on the other hand, she appreciated Booth's company. He always ended to make her laugh, and even if she didn't like to admit it, it was good to think that someone cared about her. That's why eventually she nodded. "All right", she responded with a light smile. "Although I'm not hungry for now."

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They had been wandering for over an hour, none of them really caring about where theirs steps were leading them. Booth had been trying to strike up a conversation, but they ended up walking silently, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. He glanced at Bones. She seemed lost in her thoughts, her eyes turned to the ground. He could see a smile stretching across her lips.

"Why are you smiling?" he asked, curious.

"Uhm? What? Oh, nothing. I was just… laughing at myself" she said with a shrug.

Booth raised his eyebrows. "You wanna talk about it?"

"Well, you know… That's so stupid…" She sighed "Angela would say I'm cursed"

"And what do you think?"

"I think that I'm unlucky. And really bad at reading people's minds."

"Bones, you're not that bad at it, you know. Actually, I can say you've improved a lot. And you had no mean to guess what was in his mind."

"But _you_ did. I should have listened to you this time."

He grinned. "You should listen to me most of time, Bones."

She opened her mouth to argue but eventually changed her mind and remained silent.

He gave her a victory smile. "Does that mean you agree with me?" he asked unbelievingly.

"It means that I'm not in the mood to argue with you!" she retorted, teasingly slapping his hand.

"Okay… What are you in the mood for then?"

Her smile disappeared as she gently shook her head. "I don't know", she nearly whispered, suddenly stopping. As she pronounced these words, a clap of thunder rang out in the sky. Booth glanced up at the clouds. He was about to suggest rushing to a sheltered place before the rain would began to fall, but his Bones' look told him he'd better respecting her silence. Her eyes were staring absently at the ground, and she didn't seem to notice the heavy raindrop which crushed on her forehead.

"I was thinking… Maybe I should see a shrink."

He lightly turned to face her. "I thought you hated psychology?"

"It couldn't be worse anyway" she whispered, shrugging, her eyes still turned to the ground. "But no, you're right again. I shouldn't see a shrink or I'll probably drive him crazy." Her mouth was set in an embittered expression. "I'd better resign myself to stop trying with relationships."

He brought his finger under her chin and lifted it slightly. She was forced to look at him, and as he looked into her eyes, he could see that they were filled with tears. "Don't say that Bones, okay? Never resign yourself, never stop trying."

She lightly shook her head, avoiding his look. "Why should I care anyway? I like being alone. Seems like this is how my life is meant to be." Her eyes returned to him, and she wiped a raindrop that was sliding down her cheek. "I mean, from a logical point of view."

He placed his hand on the small of her back and guide her to a shelter. "I can't see nothing logical in thinking you'd better remain alone during the rest of your life, Bones. Anthropologically speaking, people are meant to live together" he said, seriously.

She couldn't help a light smile. "Anthropologically speaking?"

He cleared his throat, realizing what he had just said. "Well, hum… I mean, you don't have to be alone." As they had at last reached a dry place, he stood in front of her and, moving his hands to her arms, he couldn't help a smile. "Just try to listen to me when I tell you I have a bad feeling about someone", he added, before wrapping his arms around her. Breathing the smooth smell of her hair, he rubbed her back comfortingly while she was resting her head on his chest.

When they pulled apart, she locked eyes with him. "Thank you Booth. I…" She stumbled to form words. "Thank you", she repeated eventually, in a whisper. Their faces were so close that Booth could feel her breath caressing his face as she was talking.

"I, hum… You're welcome", he said with a shy smile. "And you know… You know you're not alone Bones. You know I'm here whenever you need me, right?" As she lightly nodded, he couldn't help the back of his fingers running down the side of her face, couldn't help tightening his grip around her waist. Then, he couldn't help leaning in and, after a brief hesitation, kissing her softly on the lips. He was surprised to feel her pulling him a bit closer to deepen the kiss. When they broke apart, gasping for air, she buried her face into his neck, her arms twined around it. And she felt like she had never been kissed with so much love. That she had finally found someone who really cared, someone who'd never leave her.

Yet, she couldn't suppress this aching feeling in her chest and stomach. She left the embrace and her grey eyes met Booth's dark ones.

_Have I?_

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**I hope you enjoyed reading! Please review and let me know what you think about it ;) Last chapter will come soon.**


	7. A whisper in your ear

**A/N: Thanks again to Melissa, aka The Brain (:D), for her support and her corrections! I love you sweetie, I spend such a great time with you, my evil friend !!!**

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**Chapter 7**** : A whisper in your ear**

_**Thursday, June 6**__**th**_

_**8**__**:31 pm**_

When they broke apart, Booth was wearing his charm smile. The thunder rang out again, but none of them seemed to notice. When the lightning illuminated Brennan's face, Booth thought he had never seen such a beautiful thing. He rested his forehead on hers and ran the back of his hand on her cheek before lightly kissing her lips again. But his smile immediately faded when he exchanged look with her. Her eyes, as grey as the clouds in the stormy sky, as sad as the rain falling next to them, were not filled with what he had expected. They were filled with doubt and fear.

"Look Bones… Temperance… I'm sorry… I didn't mean… I thought…"

She lightly shook her head and forced a smile. _Look what you've done, you stupid. Now he thinks you're gonna be mad at him because he kissed you…_ She managed to banish all negative thoughts from her mind and choose to take a teasing voice. "I was just wondering… this was not a guy hug, was it?"

A grins spread across Booth's lips as he pulled her into his arms again, not allowing her to escape his grasp. "Definitely not."

And so they stayed, none of them willing to leave the warm and comforting embrace, pretending they couldn't go anywhere while the storm was raging.

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_**00:14**_

They had come back to Brennan's place, with their clothes cold and wet but their hearts happy and warm. And here they were now, lying under the messy fluffy sheets. To both of them, resting against the other's bare body felt natural, normal, as if it had always been this way. Temperance's doubts had faded away. She had let herself being invaded by this only feeling: this was nothing but a mistake. She was beginning to understand and admit that sometimes, thinking is no good.

"You know what?" Booth said in a soft voice, playing with a lock of her hair.

She gave him a light smile. "What?"

"I had a dream a few nights ago… We were…" He stopped and looked embarrassed. As he saw she was about to talk, he tightened his arms around her. "Never mind" He placed a kiss on her neck and she felt her breath as he whispered in her ear. "Temperance, I… You make me happy, more than you know. I love you". Not expecting her to reply, he kissed her again before burying his face in her hair and closing his eyes. Soon, she felt his muscles relaxing and his breathing becoming steady. In spite of herself, she gave a sigh of relief, and at the same time, cursed herself for being so weak. Why wasn't she able to say these mere three words when they were actually explaining what she was feeling inside? _Come on Temperance Brennan, you're not a coward. Why dread something that hasn't happened yet? It's Booth, nothing wrong will happen if you tell him what you feel._

She gently turned her head. "I love you too, Booth…" She couldn't say whether he had heard her or not, nor if he was really asleep. But a large smile had spread accross his lips.

** END **

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**Yeah I know, this chapter was short. Maybe I should have included it with chapter 6 after all… Nevermind, the story is now finished! I'm now working on a new multichapter****. I hope you'll like it, because now I began writing in English, it's easier for me and I'll add more descriptions that will make it better I think.**

**Thanks for reading anyway!**


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